Figure 5.

NAC enhances wogonin-induced apoptotic cell death. HPCCs were pre-treated with sterile water or NAC for 2 h, then treated with 0.1% DMSO or 40 µM wogonin for 24 h. (A) Analysis of the cell death ratio by trypan blue revealed that wogonin could enhance the cell death ratio, and this effect could be further promoted by co-treatment with NAC. (B) Cell viability was determined by CCK8; cell viability was reduced by wogonin and was further inhibited by co-treatment with NAC. (C) Caspase-3 levels were assessed by immunoblotting, revaling that the expression level of caspase-3 could be upregulated by wogonin, and was further promoted by co-treatment with NAC. (D) Flow cytometry revealed that wogonin could increase the cell apoptosis ratio, and the increased effect of co-treatment with NAC was significant. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation from triplicated experiments. *P<0.05; **P<0.01. HPCC, human pancreatic cancer cell; DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide; NAC, N-acetyl-cysteine; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; CCK-8, cell counting kit-8.